Smooth Sailing For Nautical Mile Race

By Danny Schrafel

dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

 

The Tucker family, which includes a pair of running 3-year-old twins, are all smiles after the race is complete.

In its maiden voyage, the Northport Nautical Mile race appears to have gone off without a hitch. 

Three-hundred seventeen runners, ranging in age from 3 to 77 years old, completed the 1.15-mile downhill route through the heart of Northport.

“It went great. We had a fantastic day, a good turnout for the race,” organizer Stewart MacLeod said Tuesday.

Leading off the race was the ladies’ wave, and Sarah Hardie captured the top woman’s time with a 6:03.8 run, which was also good for 14th place overall. The overall champ was A. Verzswiver, who completed the route in 4:59.5. 

More impressive than the fast completions, MacLeod said, was the family atmosphere. 

“There had to be over 80 kids under the age of 18, most of them running with their parents,” he said.  

That included the youngest participants, a pair of three-year-old twins who ran with their mother and completed the race together in about a half-hour.

“They ran – in their own pace – the whole way,” MacLeod said.

Roads were reopened by shortly after 9:30 a.m., and runners then “filled the park with the Farmer’s Market” for awards and the annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony.